Tube squeezer



March 12, 1963 R. c. BARNES TUBE SQUEEZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug.30, 1961 March 12, 1963 c, ES 3,081,001

TUBE SQUEEZER Filed Aug. 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,081,001 TUBE SQUEEZER Robert (I. Barnes, 670Edgebrook Drive, Houston, Tex. Filed Aug. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 135,024 2Claims. (Cl. 22299) The present invention relates to a device forfacilitating the squeezing of material such as paste from a tube.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a tubesqueezer which is adapted to be used in conjunction with a conventionaltube of material such as toothpaste, wherein the present invention canbe manually actuated or operated in order to readily and convenientlyeject or dispense a desired quantity of material from a tube and as forexample the present invention can be used for dispensing toothpaste froma tube onto a toothbrush or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tube squeezerwhich includes a pair of members as well as a roller and wherein thereis provided spring members for exerting pressure in the properdirection, and the roller being provided with an elongated recess orslot for selectively receiving therein end portions of the tube so thatupon proper manual actuation of the device the material will bedispensed or ejected from the tube in the desired manner.

Another object is to provide a device of the character described thatmay be utilized speedily and with precision by even inexperiencedoperators. Further objects and advantages are to provide improvedelements and arrangements thereof in a device of the character describedthat is economical to produce, durable in form, and conducive to themost economical use of material and uniformity of members formedtherefrom.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from thesubsequent description and specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view showing the device in the starting position.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view with the parts in the position ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a rear view of the tube squeezer of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is an inside view illustrating certain construction details ofthe present invention.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary sectional view generally similar to FIGURE 6but showing the parts squeezed together by the fingers.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 but showing the members orelements in a ditterent position.

FIGURE 9 is a vertical sectional view taken through one of the bodymembers.

FIGURE 10 is a vertical sectional view taken through the other bodymember or element.

FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of one of the spring members. 7

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 20 indicates the tubesqueezer of the present invention which comprises a housing or casingthat is indicated generally by the numeral 21, and the housing 21includes upper and lower body members 22 and 23.

As shown in FIGURE 10 for example, the lower body member 23 includes abottom wall 24 as well as a pair of spaced parallel side walls 25, andthe member 23 further includes a back wall 26, and there are inwardlystruck portions of the upper edge of the back wall 26 forming teeth 27for a purpose to be later described.

3,081,001 Patented Mar. 12, 1963 ice 2 As shown in the drawings, theside walls 25 include tapered portions 28 as well as enlarged opposedrounded portions 29, and there is provided opposed slots 30 in therounded portions 29. As shown in FIGURE 10 for example, the longitudinalaxes of the slot 30 are arranged parallel to the plane of the bottomwall 24.

The upper body member 22 includes a wall member 31, FIGURE 9, and thewall member 31 is shaped to include a generally flat section 32 as wellas an arcuate section 33, and there is also provided a rearwardlydisposed inwardly turned lip 34 which has extensions thereon that defineor provide gripping fingers 35. The upper body member further includes apair of spaced parallel side flanges 36 which have the sameconstruction, and each of the side flanges 36 includes sections 37 ofreduced size as well as sections 38 of increased size, and the enlargedsections 38 are arranged contiguous to the outer surfaces of the roundedportions 29 when the parts are properly assembled. The enlarged sections38 are provided with opposed slits 39, and as shown in FIGURE 9 thelongitudinal axes of the slits 39 are arranged at an angle with respectto the plane of the flat section 32. The numeral 40 indicates securingelements or pivot pins which extend through the registering slots andslits 30 and 39, and the pins 40 are connected to end portions of aroller 41, the roller 41 being positioned between the upper and lowerbody members 22 and 23, and the ends of the roller being interposedbetween the side walls 25 of the member 23. The roller 41 is providedwith an elongated recess 42 for receiving therein the rear end portion43 of a conventional tube 44, and the tube 44 is adapted to be providedwith the usual neck portion 45, FIGURE 6.

As shown in the drawings, there is provided a pair of similar springmembers which are each indicated by the numeral 46, and the springmembers 46 each include an intermediate coiled portion 47 which has anadjacent pin 40 extending therethrough, and there is provided hookportions 48 and 49 on the ends of the spring members 46 for engagingportions of the side walls and flanges of the body members.

The member 22 is provided with a lug 50 which extends inwardly from thelower end of the wall section 33, as shown in FIGURE 4, and the member23 is provided with a similar lug 51 extending inwardly from the upperend of the back wall 26. The lugs 5t) and 51 prevent the roller 41 fromhaving the recess 42 caught upon either the back wall 26 or on the lowerend of the wall section 33.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a devicewhich is especially suitable for squeezing toothpaste or the like from atube and while the present invention is described specifically for usein dispensing or discharging toothpaste or the like from a tube such asthe tube 44, it is to be understood that the present invention is notrestricted to such use since it can be used in dispensing any suitablematerial from various types of tubes and the like.

In use, with the parts arranged as shown in the drawings, it will beseen that when the device is to be used, a tube such as the tube 44 isadapted to have its end portion 43 received in or seated in the recess42 of the spool or roller 41, and then with the parts arranged as shownin FIGURE 6 for example, and with the cap or closure on the neck 45removed, when it is desired to dispense a quantity of toothpaste or thelike from a tube such as the tube 44, finger pressure is applied to themembers 22 and 23 so as to cause the members 22 and 23 to be movedtogether from the position shown in FIGURE 6 to the position such asthat shown in FIGURE 7. As the parts move to the position of FIGURE- 7from the position of FIGURE 6, the teeth 35 dig into or engage a portionof the roller 41 so as to cause the roller or spool 41 to start to turnwhereby a portion of the tube 44 will be rolled on the spool 41 so thatthe toothpaste or the like will be dispensed out through the end portion45. When manual pressure is released on the members 22 and 23, thespring members 46 return the parts in the position shown in FIGURE 7 toa position such as that shown in FIGURE 6, so that the device is inposition ready to be subsequently used in the same manner by additionalpaste yet to be dispensed onto a toothbrush or the like. It is to benoted that when manual pressure on the members 22 and 23 is released,the teeth 27 engage a portion of the roller or tube so as to act as abrake in order to prevent the spool or roller from unwinding, so that ineffect a ratchet mechanism is provided. The slits 39 and the slots 30are arranged at a proper angle so as to permit the necessary expansionbetween the members 22 and 23 to take place as the additional portionsof the tube are wound on the spool 41, and also these slits and slotshave portions of the pin 40 extending therethrough and providesuificient clearance for the necessary movement to take place wherebythe desired action can be accomplished.

Initially as the teeth 27 and gripping fingers 35 engage outerperipheral portions of the roller 41, but as the device is continued tobe actuated, portions of the flattened tube are wrapped around theroller 41 so that the teeth 27 and gripping fingers 35 will engage theportion of the tube on the spool 41 in order to bring about thenecessary gripping and ratchet action as well as to insure that theparts will not turn in the wrong direction or accidentally slip.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in difierent shapesor sizes.

With further reference to the springs 46, there is provided a hookportion or slot portion 29 in the rounded section 29, FIGURE 10, andthis hook portion 29' is provided on top of the portion 29 to hold anend of a spring 46 and this is necessary to force the member 23 forwardon releasing of the squeezing pressure. The other end of the spring asat 49 contacts the member 22 at its rear ends in the grooves formedwhere the portion 34 and 35 meet. This is necessary to keep the parts 22and 23 from opening to the limits of the slot 39.

4 It also keeps the gripping fingers 35 in close contact with the rolleror tube.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming withinthe scope of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, ifdesired.

What is claimed is:

1. A tube squeezer comprising a housing including upper and lower bodymembers, said lower body member comprising a bottom wall, a pair ofspaced parallel side walls and a back wall, spaced apart teeth on theupper edge portions of said back wall, said side walls each having thesame construction and each including tapered portions and opposedrounded portions, there being opposed slots in said rounded portions;said upper body member comprising a wall member including a generallyfiat section and an arcuate section, an inwardly turned lip on the rearof said wall member, extensions on said lip providing gripping fingers,said upper body member further including a pair of spaced parallel sideflanges which have the same construction and which include sections ofreduced size and enlarged sections, said enlarged sections beingarranged contiguous to the outer surfaces of said rounded portions,there being opposed slits in said enlarged sections, a roller positionedbetween said upper and lower body members and said roller beinginterposed between the side walls of said lower body member, pivot pinsextending through said slots and slits and connected to the ends of saidroller, there being an elongated recess in said roller for receiving anend portion of a tube being squeezed, and a pair of spring members eachincluding an intermediate coiled portion interposed between a side walland flange and said coiled portions having adjacent pins extendedtherethrough, and hook portion on the ends of said spring membersengaging portions of the side walls and side flanges.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the longitudinal aXes ofsaid slots are parallel to the plane of the bottom wall, and wherein thelongitudinal axes of the slits are arranged at an angle with respect tothe plane of the flat section of the wall member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,551,909 Soileau May 8, 1951

1. A TUBE SQUEEZER COMPRISING A HOUSING INCLUDING UPPER AND LOWER BODYMEMBERS, SAID LOWER BODY MEMBER COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL, A PAIR OFSPACED PARALLEL SIDE WALLS AND A BACK WALL, SPACED APART TEETH ON THEUPPER EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID BACK WALL, SAID SIDE WALLS EACH HAVING THESAME CONSTRUCTION AND EACH INCLUDING TAPERED PORTIONS AND OPPOSEDROUNDED PORTIONS, THERE BEING OPPOSED SLOTS IN SAID ROUNDED PORTIONS;SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER COMPRISING A WALL MEMBER INCLUDING A GENERALLYFLAT SECTION AND AN ARCUATE SECTION, AN INWARDLY TURNED LIP ON THE REAROF SAID WALL MEMBER, EXTENSIONS ON SAID LIP PROVIDING GRIPPING FINGERS,SAID UPPER BODY MEMBER FURTHER INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED PARALLEL SIDEFLANGES WHICH HAVE THE SAME CONSTRUCTION AND WHICH INCLUDE SECTIONS OFREDUCED SIZE AND ENLARGED SECTIONS, SAID ENLARGED SECTIONS BEINGARRANGED CONTIGUOUS TO THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID ROUNDED PORTIONS,THERE BEING OPPOSED SLITS IN SAID ENLARGED SECTIONS, A ROLLER POSITIONEDBETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER BODY MEMBERS AND SAID ROLLER BEINGINTERPOSED BETWEEN THE SIDE WALLS OF SAID LOWER BODY MEMBER, PIVOT PINSEXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOTS AND SLITS AND CONNECTED TO THE ENDS OF SAIDROLLER, THERE BEING AN ELONGATED RECESS IN SAID ROLLER FOR RECEIVING ANEND PORTION OF A TUBE BEING SQUEEZED, AND A PAIR OF SPRING MEMBERS EACHINCLUDING AN INTERMEDIATE COILED PORTION INTERPOSED BETWEEN A SIDE WALLAND FLANGE AND SAID COILED PORTIONS HAVING ADJACENT PINS EXTENDEDTHERETHROUGH, AND HOOK PORTIONS ON THE ENDS OF SAID SPRING MEMBERSENGAGING PORTIONS OF THE SIDE WALLS AND SIDE FLANGES.